Multicolor rotary printing press



Nov. 24, 1931. H. M. BARBER MULTICOLOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS Filed June 21, 1930 INVENTOR nun allIH III I ATTOR N EYS Patented Nov. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOWARD I. BARBER, PAWCATUCI, WNNEC'I'ICUT, ABBIGNOR T0 C. B. (mm-am 8 SONS OOIPANY, OII' WESTEBLY, RHODE ISLAND, OOBJOBLTION OI DELAWARE IUIII'IGOIDB ROTARY PRINTING P1388 Application fled June 81,

The successful operation of a multicolor printing press calls for long continuous runs of the press after its plate cylinders have been made ready. The product of such a press 8 for the most eflicient use of the press should also be printed in the maximum number of colors for which the ress is designed. Frequently, the product rom a multicolor printing press far exceeds the intermediate ship ping requirements for the product,'thus reninating the necessity of storing excessive dering it necessary to store large quantities of the printed stock with the consequent storage and handling expense.

The object of my invention is to provide means whereby a multicolor printing press may be used to the fullest extent by providing means for silencing one or more of the plate cylinders so that different jobs of less than the full color capacity of the press may be run successively and, if desired, alternately in less than the full run of any articular product of the press,- to meet t e desired product requirements and thereby elim amounts of'the stock of any one job. Furthermore this ability to silence one or more of the plate cylinders not only permits the printing of a product in less than the full number of colors but also permits the running of different products with the same col ors or with different colors, and also permits the silenced plate cylinder or cylinders to be made ready while the remaining plate cylinder or cylinders are being used.

My invention is illustrated in connection a four color rotary printing press in which the four plate cylinders coact with a common impression cylinder.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a detail side elevation, partly in section, of so much of a four color rotary printing press as embodies my inventione two of the plate cylinders being shown in operative position and two silenced, and

Fig. 2 represents a detail front view, partly in section, of one of the plate cyllinders and its silencing mechanism.

The impression cylinder 1 has its shaft 2 1930. Serial 110. 488,771.

The impression cylindci 1 is provided with i the gear 22 which meshes with the gears 23, 24, 25, 26 of the respective plate cylinders 6, 7, 8 and 9 when the late cylinders are brought into coaction with the impression cylinder. f

Similar means are em 10 ed for independently moving each 0 t e plate cylinders radlally into and out of coaction with the impression cylinder. Therefore, only one of these means will be described in detail, viz. the one for moving the late cylinder 6, as this will. give a clear un erstanding also of the operation of all of the other plate cylinder moving means.

The bearings 14 of the shaft 10 of the plate cylinder 6 may be moved inwardly and outwa'rdly along the boxes 18 to bring the plate cylinder into and out of coaction with the impression cylinder by bringin the plate cyllnder gear 23 into and out o mesh with the impression cylinder gear 22 as follows:

Each bearing 14 is provided with an out wardl projecting screw 27 on which is threa ed a worm wheel 28 which meshes with a worm 29 on a short cross shaft 30 rotatably mounted in the box cap 31. This cross shaft 30 is provided with a gear 32 which meshes with a gear 33 mounted on a stud shaft 34 carried by a bracket 35 projecting from the box 18. This gear 33 in turn meshes with a gear 36 on the hand shaft 37 which is herein shown as extending across the machine and as common to both gears 33.

This shaft 37 is shown as having a crank sal in its operation.

justed and then moved away from the impression cylinder for silencing the plate cylmden. One only of these means will be s ificallv described, viz. the one applied to 8 2 cylinder 6. Stops 39 and 40 are rotatably adjustable with respect to their cars 32 and 33 respectively so that when the plate cylinder 6 has been adjusted into its pro r kissing contact with the impression cylin er 1, the stops may be swung around on their respective shafts and 34 to bring their noses into engagement with each other and'there'locked to prevent further inward movement of the plate cylinder.

The means which I have shown for locking the stops 39 and 40 in their adjusted tions com rises locking bolts 41 and 42 w ich are passed through selected holes of a concentric series of holes 43 and 44 in the ears 32 and 33 respectively. These lockin lts also pass through elongated grooves 5 and 46 in their respective stops 39 and 40, which .grooves are concentric with the axes of said gears32 and 33 and register with the coni centric series of holes 43 and 44 respectively.

From the above description it will be seen that the usefulness of the press is materially 7 enhanced by roviding means for silencing '9 one or more o the plate cylinders at leasure.

' This feature allows the remaining p ate cylinderor cylinders to be used for printing 3 .a job or part of a job while the silenced plate '8 cylinder or cylinders may be made ready for :another job or may be held in readiness for :1 printing .another job. Furthermore, the .-printing press is ca able of printing a job in any number of co ors up to the maximum jand it is also capable of printingtwo jobs '4 in the same color or colors or in different colors and combinations of colors as desired, thus rendering the press practically univer- It is evident that various changes ma be resorted to in the construction, form an arrangement of the several 1 parting from the s irlt an scope of my inarts without devention, and hence do not intend to be limited to the particular embodiment herein shown and described, but

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plate cylinder moving means adjustable into engagement with each other for ensuring the accurate return of the plate cylinder to its printing contact'with the impression cylinder when moved away therefrom.

3. In a rotary printing press, an impression cylinder, a plate cylinder, means for with each other and means for locking the stops in their adjusted positions.

sion cylinder, 9; plate cylinder, means for moving the plate cylinder into and out of printing contact with the impression cylinder, and means for ensuring the accurate return of the late cylinder to its printing contact with t e impression cylinder when moved awaytherefrom, comprising a pair of meshing gears, stops rotatively adjustable on the axes of said gears into engagement with each other and means for locking the stops in their adjusted positions.

5. In a rotary printing press, an impression cylinder, a plate cylinder, means for moving the plate cylinder into and outof printing contact with the impression .cylinder, and means for ensuring the accurate return of the late cylinder to its printing contact with t e imprcssioncylinder when moved away therefrom, comprising a pair of meshing gears, stops rotatively adjustable on the axes of said gears into engagement with each other and means for locking the stops in their adjusted positions including a concentric series of holes in each gear,

a concentric groove in each stop registering with said holes and a lockin bolt engaging said groove and a selected hole.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name this 18th day ofJune 1930.

HWARD M. BARBER.

1. In a rotary printing press, an impres- I sioncylinder, a plate cylinder, means for i .moving the plate cylinder into and out of printing contact wit and adjustable means earned by said plate the impression cylinder cylinder moving means for ensuring the accurate return of the plate cylinder to its printin [contact with the impression cyl W .inder w on moved away therefrom. 2. In a rotary printing press, an impress sion cylinder, a platecylinder, means for moving the plate cylinder into-and out of printing contact with-the impression cylinder, and a pairof devices carried by said 4. In a rotary printing press, an impres- 

